Syrian army forces have captured two villages near the border with Lebanon after clashes with foreign-backed insurgents.

Syria's state-run TV reported that villages of Flita and Ras Maara were recaptured by government forces on Saturday morning.

The villages were the latest targets of a government offensive in the rugged Qalamoun border region after the Syrian army liberated the strategic town of Yabroud earlier this month.

Tens of thousands of Syrians have fled into Lebanon since the foreign-backed insurgents poured into Qalamoun from Lebanon.

A Britain-based opposition group so-called Syrian Observatory for Human Rights confirmed that government troops were advancing in the two villages.

Syrian soldiers have launched an offensive against the militants in the region since the start of March and succeeded in taking control of the area near the town of Yabroud, located about 80 kilometers (50 miles) north of the capital Damascus.

Qalamoun is an important supply route for the insurgents in order to receive weaponry from their foreign backers. It is also a main base for the armed groups in their attacks on capital, Damascus.

Syria has been gripped by deadly unrest since 2011. According to reports, the Western powers and their regional allies -- especially Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey -- are supporting the militants operating inside the country.

According to press reports, an estimated 130,000 people have been killed and millions displaced due to the turmoil that has gripped Syria for over two years.